Joint-breaking apparatus



Jan. 25,1927. 5 5

J. G. GRATTAN JOINT BREAKING APPARATUS Fild Nov. 18. 1924 I l7" l I Ifax.

IN VEN TOR,

% ATTORNEY.

Patented 25, 1927: a

. v UNITED; STATES 1,615,695 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH G. GRATTAN, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, A SSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- HENTS, TO TEXAS IRON WORKS SALES CORPORATION, OF 'HOUSTON,TEXAS, A COR- PORATION OF TEXA S JOINT-BREAKING arrnnarns.

Application filed November 18, 1924. serial No. 750,522.

My invention relates to power apparatus for breaking or loosenin thejoints of rotary drill pipe used in drilling oil wells.

p In the present ractice of manually breaka ing drill pipe joints by theuse of a breaking line, many accidents occur resulting 1n loss of armsand other injuries to the operatives. Moreover, the old method requiresconsiderable time and labor and the break- 1o ing lines are short livedso that considerable expense is involvedin replacing them.

The general object of my invent10n is to provide an effective, quick andsafe power actuated means for breaking drill pipe is. joints.

Among the objects of the lnventlon are the elimination of breakinglines, speed of operation, saving of time and labor, reduction in costof equipment, the holding of the ac pin of the "joint while the box isrotated 06. 7 Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter andwhile I show herewith and will describe a preferred form of construc- 25tion, I desire to be understood that I do not limit my invention to suchreferred form but that various changes an adaptationsmay be made thereinwithout depart-r ing from the spirit of my invention as here- 30 inafterclaimed.

In the drawing: s Fig. 1 is a horizontal section, of a rotary oil wellrig and derrick taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 2 showing my breakingapparatus '35 in plan applied to one of the-tongs grip:

' ping a drill pipe joint.

Fig. 2 is a side view Ofthe-rig, derrick and-my apparatus as.shown in"Fig.1

Fig. 3 IS a longitudinalfsection of my 40 breaking apparatus.-

Fig. 4; is a horizontal sect-ionof the op-v erating valve of of Fig. 2.M -invention':comprises a-breaking gun 'cli inclndes acvlinder 2, apiston 3 ofthe cylinder as indicated at 7 and 8. A

packing ring 9 is interposedbetween the'f 10 and clamped upon the istonby a clamp I ring 11 which engages t e inwardly bent ing my apparatustaken on line "andga pis'tonrodili-The heads and 6 of.

valvezport 37 the cylinder are screw seated on the ends"- para'llel.tar-intermediate their connect-' portion of} the packing ring and issocured to the piston by screws 12. The piston rod 4 projects through astufling box 13 in the cyhnder head 6 and has a clevis 14 on its outerend. An eye 15 is fixed in the cylinder head 5 and an e'yebolt 16-xtends through said eye, which eyebolt is secured in the hoistmechanism frame 17 on an oil well derrick 18.

The cylinder 1 is provided with-ports 19 and 20 near its ends. Tongs 21are applied to thepin of a joint 22 of the drill pipe 23 above therotary 24, which pipe is hoisted out of the well through said rotary,which is located in the base of the derrick 18.,

One end of a cable 25 is connected to the clevis 141 on the piston rod4' and the other end of said cable is connected to the outer end of thehandle of the tongs 21.

- Tongs 26 are applied to the box of the joint 22 and the outer end ofsaid tongs is connected to one end of a cable 27, the other end'of saidcable being connected to the derrick 18 to support the tongs so thatthey .will holdthe box against turning. The tongs 21 and 26 aresuspended on cables 28 and 29 ,respectivel secured in the upper part ofthe derri'c The inner sw" 'ng endof the gun I is suspended on a cab e 30secured .in the upper part of the. derrick.

A control valve 31 is located under the floor of the derrick 18, whichvalve comprises a valve casing '32 and a valve plug 33, the "plug beingfixed to a. rod'34 upstand- H from the valvethrough the derrick oor. .v

A handle 34 is fixed t6 theupper end of rod 34 for turning said'rod andplug. The valveeasing 3211s. provided with-an inlet port 35,- gorts.giirand 37 and an exhaustport 38. he valve plug 33 is provided withports 39 and A hose 41 connects the-*cylindcr port 19 andthe valveportflfiand a hose 42 and pipe 43c'onnects lf t 'g%1indei*port 20 andthe 63641 and 42 being held sump-4t is mounted on the errickianda; pipe45 leads from ie pu m'p-intothe inlet 35 of oosen a joint 22 of thedrill tubing 23, the tongs 21 and 26 being applied to the pin and boxrespectivelyjof the joint, the plug 33 of valve 3]: is turned sothatplug port 39 registers with inlet port 35 and port the piston 3 and therod 4 to the left, where- .upon the tongs 21, through cable 25, aredrawn with 'a quick movement in a counter clockwise direction, the tongs26 holding the box of thejoint 22 stationary, and the .pin of the jointis loosened .from the box, thus breaking the joint.

Any water in the left end of the cylinder is forced by the piston outthrough port 19, g hose-41., port 36, plug port 40 and ex- Q haust 38. vi

The tongs 21 and the tpin' being held turned sli htly counter clockwisewith the joint bro en and the tongs 26 being released from the box, thelower portion of the drill tubing 23 is rotated by the rotary 24 in aclockwise direction until the joint 22 is unscrewed. The tongs 21 arethen released from the pin of the joint.

The valve plug 33 isthen turned until the plug port 33 registers withtheinlet port 35 and with port-36 and the plug port registors with port 37and exhaustrport' 38, .whereupon water is pumped through inlet port 35,.

plug port 40, port 36, hose 41 and cylinder 35 port 19 into the left endof the c linder 2,

which forces the piston 3.and r0 ,4 to the right into position forbreaking another joint, while the iston forces the Water out of theother oil 'of the cylinder through 40. port 20, pipe 43, hose 42, port37, plug port 39 and exhaust port 38. 'When not' in use the gun I may beswung upwardly out. of the way on its eye 15 by vcable 30, I V

Having thus "described my invention, I claim: a p

1. In a rotary oil wellrig, having means for girl ipping the pin, andbox of a joint of the ill pipe,'a breaking gun 'swingingly mounted atone end in the lower art/of the oil well derrick, the free end of t e unbeing suspended on a cable in the derrlck, the

gun being connected to one ofsaid gripping. means "for breaking thejoint, said cable being adaptedgto swing the free end,

of the gun upwardly, and said gun being thereby 'sition of said sition.

movable to a osition more nearly vertical than horizontal when not inuse.

2. In a rotary oil well rig, a breaking gun containing a piston, apivotal support located at one end of said gun to connect said gun withthe well rig, means for gripping the pin and box of a drill pipe, meansto connectoperatively the free end of said gun with said gripping means,hose to supply fluid pressure to operate the piston of said gun, saidhose permitting said gun to swing on said pivotal support, and a cableto support said gun in a substantially horizontal operative position,said cable being ada ted to swing said gun up toward the side 0 the wellrig when said gun is not in use.

3. In. an oil well rig having gripping means applied to the pin and boxof a drill pipe joint, a gun comprising a cylinder, :1 piston head andiston rod for said cylinder, means for fiexib y and detachablyconnecting the outer endof said piston rod with said gripping means, aneye and eyeboltpivotally connecting the other end of said gun to theframe of the well rig, and means to I support said gun in asubstantially horizontal operative position, and to swing said gun onits eyebolt to a relatively upright in: operative position.

4. A draw ,works attachment including gripping means adapted to beapplied to the pin and box of a drill pipe joint, a breaking. gunadapted to be swmgingly mounted at one end in the lower part of the oilwell derrick, yieldable means for suspending the free end of the gun,said gun bein connected to one of said ipping means or breaking thejoint, sai suspending means being adapted to sustain the gun inapproximately horizontal position but permitting the pogun to varyrelative to normal position. v

5. A draw works attachment including gripping means adaptedto be appliedtothe pin and box of a drill pipe joint, a breaking gunadapted to beswingingly mounted adjacent the lower art of the oil well derrick,yieldable' means or sustaining the free end of the gun,said'gun beingconnected to one of said gripping means for breaking the joint, saidsuspending means being adapted to sustain. the un in approximatelyhorizontal-positionutpermitting the position of said gun to varyrelative to normal po- JOSEPCH GRATTAN.

